Louis beetling



UNITE STATES PATENT OFFI E.

LOUIS BERTLING, OF PENGE, COUNTY OF SURREY, ENGLAND.

LITHOGRAPHIC PROCESS, 80o.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373.331, dated November15, 1887.

Application filed May 3, 1887. Serial No. 236,986. (No specimens.)Patented in England April 14, 1887, No. 5,464.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS BERTLING, lithographic artist, a subject ofthe Queen of Great Britain,and a resident of Penge, in the county ofSurrey, England, have invented a new and useful Improved Process forFacilitating the Reproduction of Lithographic Pictures, De-

signs, or Delineations, which invention com-- prises improvedcompositions and paper for use in such process, (for which I haveapplied for provisional protection in GreatBritain, No. 5,464, bearingdate April 14, 1887,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of lithography, and comprises animproved process, also improved compositions and paper to be employedtherein The object ofthe said invention is to provide means whereby oneor more impressions of any picture, drawing, design, writing, or othermatter taken from a lithographic stone upon which the same has beenproduced in an ordinary or Well-known manner may be rendered capable ofsubsequent reproduction upon a lithographic stone, so that copies can beob'- work has been removed therefrom) for redrawing or preparing thesame design again whenever further copies thereof may be required.

It is well known to lithographers and others that considerabledifficulty is constantly experienced by reason of the fact that no meanshave heretofore been known whereby a picture or design produced upon astone could be preserved for any great length of time in a condition forfuture lithographic reproduction otherwise than by retaining the sameupon the stone itself, and that consequently many designs have to bedestroyed by removal from the stone after the number of copies requiredat first have been pulled, although there is often a probability thatmore copies will be subsequently required; and this removal has to beeffected because it is practically impossible to keep more than alimited number of stones locked up or out of use in this manner. On theother hand, it is frequently essential that certain designs should bekept ready for reproduction from time to time, and, moreover, in thecase of very expensive work, it is obviously frequently important thatit shall not be destroyed by removing it from the stone, thereproduction by the artist being either impossibleor impracticable.Oonsequently it is always the case in lithographic establishments that avery large number of stones are thus constantly locked up orinoperative, which is a matter of con siderable importance both withrespect to the storage-room required and to the increased capital whichis necessary to provide a Suficient quantity of stones for the currentwork; but by means of my invention this difficulty is entirely obviated,as I am thereby enabled to obtain an impression upon paper which iscapable of being retained for years in such a condition that it can betransferred to stone whenever required, so as to be printed from in theordinary manner practiced in lithography. Therefore, by the employmentof my said invention every lithographic stone can be released forfurther use immediately the requisite number of copies have beenpulled-that is to say, the design or drawing may be removed,and yet atthe same time one or more copies thereof can be retained inconvenientform-viz., upon a sheet ofpaperand in such a condition as tobe capable of reproduction at a future time, if required.

My improved process consists in taking an impression of the design,drawing, or other work from the lithographic stone upon transfer-paperprepared in the manner hereinafter described, and then dusting over theimpres- L sion so obtained a fine dry transfer-powder rich in fattymaterials, and made of the ingredients hereinafter specified. The greasycharacter of the said powder renders the design to which itis appliedupon this paper capable of being transferred to stone at any subsequenttime Within a period of years, (say five or ten years, and yet thedryness of the powder is such that there is no danger of the designbeing destroyed by rubbing off through contact with paper or othermaterial with which it may be placed when stored for future use. Thesaid transfer-powder, which constitutes the most important feature of myinvention, is composed of spermaeeti, sperm-oil, and finelypowderedcharcoal combined in the following mannerthatis to say, I take twopounds of spcrniaccti, two pounds of charcoal, and eight ounces ofsperm-oil,and treat them as followsthat is to say, Imelt the spermacetiin a suitable vessel, preferably by putting the latter into boilingwater for this purpose. Vhen the spermaceti is completely melted, I addthereto the sperm-oil and powdered charcoal, stirring the whole forabout ten minutes, after which I pour the mixture upon aslab of stone,marble, or other material to allow the sameto cool. During the time inwhich this cooling is taking place I break or cut the mass into smallpieces with a palette-knife or other suitable instrument for the purposeof facilitating the subsequent pulverization. \Vhen the mixture is quitecold, I pulverize it in any suitable manner, so as to reduce the same toa very fine powder, and then I pass it through a line sieve or throughmuslin. The powder thus produced is then put into boxes or otherreceptacles for use, as hereinafter explained.

I prefer to use vegetable charcoal; but animal charcoal might beemployed, although I do not consider it so advantageous for the purpose.Instead of spermaceti I may use mutton-suet, and instead of-sperm-oil Imay employ palm-oil; but the composition so made would not effect thepurpose of my invention so advantageously.

I make the transfe -paper, hereinbefore referred to, in the followingmanner-that is to say, I take good printing-paper which is not too hard,(say about three-fourths sized.) I coat the same on one side with astrong solution of boiled starch, which must be of such a consistency asto work freely. \Vhen this coating material is dry, I apply a secondcoating of the same, but of a thinner consistency, so as to insure asmooth surface. This second coating having become dry, I apply a thirdcoating, which consists of a very weak thin solution of gum-arabic,whichhas therein some gallic acid, the proportion of the ingredients beingabout half an ounce of the acid to a gallon of the gum solution. \Vhenthis third coating is dry, the paper is to be well rolled upon bothsides thereof, and is then ready for use whenever required.

The production of the transfers to be retained for future use, which isthe essential object of my invention, is effected in the followingmannerthat is to say, the picture, design, drawing, or other work ofwhich lithographic copies are required having been produced upon thestone in any well-known manner, I pull one or more transfers therefromin the ordinary manner, excepting that they are taken upon thespeeiallyprepared transferpaper, hereinbefore described. In thisoperation ordinary lithographic transfer-ink may be used; but I preferto employ the speciallypreparcd ink, hereinafter described. Having thusobtained one or two impressions, (or whatever number may be required tobe stored away for future reproduction) I apply thereto some of thetransfer-powder, hereinbefore described,by dusting the transfers allover therewith, and then I remove any surplus powder with a softcamel-hair brush, and then wipe carefully with a soft rag, so as not toleave any of the powder loose upon the sheet. The transfer is then in acondition to be packed away for future use, and when the number ofcopies of this particular design required at the time have been pulledfrom the stone the latter may be cleaned and used at once for otherwork, the design having been preserved for reproduction, as explained.It is preferable to pull these transfers for future use before pullingthe ordinary copies required at the time; but if desired such ordinarycopies may be pulled first and the special transfers afterward.

\Vhen one of my prepared paper transfers, obtained as above described,is to be used for reproducing the design or picture upon a lithographicstone, I proceed as follows-that is to say, I fit a perfectly clean andpolished lithographic stone in the press and warm the stone by applyingboiling water to the same, and while the stone is damp I place the saidpaper transfer upon the same and pull it through the press as quickly aspossible. Then I dampen the paper with hot water and pull through thepress again, and repeat the same operation until the paper can beremoved easily from the stone. The latter must now be allowed to drywithout washing off the composition which has been transferred theretofrom the paper, as this will answer the purpose of preparing the stone.If the transfer is not a very old one-"that is to say, one which wasobtained a long time previouslythe stone will now be ready for rubbing'up with a fatty or greasy rag and for rolling up in the usual manner.Should the transfer be an old one, it would be desirable to expose thestone for a short time to a gentle heat before a fire after the pictureor design has been transferred thereto; or the heating may be effectedby passing the flame of a spirit-lamp over the stone several times, orby any other suitable means. The stone will then be ready for use andlithographic copies may be obtained therefrom in the usual manner.Transfers may also be obtained from this stone on my prepared paper, ashereinbefore described, for future use.

Although, as above stated, ordinary lithographic transfer-ink may beused when taking the impression upon my transfer-paper for future use, Iprefer to use an ink which is of a more greasy or fatty character thanis desirable in the transfer-ink to be used for ordinary lithographiccopies, as the more greasy ink is better adapted for the reception ofthe powder which has to be applied, as hereinbefore described, after theimpression has been obtained. I therefore provide a special ink for thispurpose, which contains the following ingredients in the proportions, orsubstantially so, named below, viz: Mutton suet, four ounces; yellowbeeswax, three ounces; white curd-soap, three ounces; shellac, sixounces; vegetable black, twenty ounces; middle litho varnish, threepounds; sperm-oil, four ounces, spermaceti, three ounces. In making thisink I first melt the. mu-tton-suet, wax, and spermaceti, and when themixture is sufficiently hot I ignite the same, and while it is burningaddthe curd-soap. Then Iextinguish the flame and add the shellac,stirring the mixture continuously until all is well mixed. This havingbeen effected, the sperm-oil,litho varnish, and vegetable black areintroduced, and the whole well stirred together. The mass should then bepoured into tins for use when required.

What I claim is- 1. The improved process for obtaininglithographictransfers, consisting in taking from the stone upon which the picture ordesign has been produced an impression thereof upon paper prepared withstarch and gum-arable,

substantially as described, and then applying thereto a composition inthe form of powder composed of spermaceti and sperm-oil, (or theirequivalents,) combined with charcoal, all substantially as and for thepurpose above set forth.

2. The composition in the form of powder, consisting of spermaceti andsperm-oil, (or their equivalents,) combined with charcoal, in or aboutin the proportions herein set forth.

3. The improved lithographic ink consistingof the ingredients ordinarilyused in the manufacture of such ink, in combination with sperm-oil andspermaceti, as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS BERILING.

Witnesses: I

A. G. WEAVER, WALTER J. SKERTEN.

